Wrestling News & Rumors

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It seems WWE won't be playing up the "Streak vs. Streak" angle with Edge and The Undertaker's WrestleMania 24 match after all. The current SmackDown preview is hyping up the "Streak vs. Champion" angle for the match.

- Melina's backstage attitude in the WWE locker room is said to be improving. When Melina first came in and got her big push, she had a lot of heat on her because people felt like it went straight to her head. WWE took that push away from her, hoping it would bring her attitude down a notch or two. Melina hasn't been in any major incidents as of late, so it's safe to say her attitude has definitely improved.

- We posted yesterday on the rumor that WWE was trying to bring in boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya to take part in the Floyd Mayweather angle at WrestleMania 24. We've now learned that WWE did indeed reach out to De La Hoya, but he had no interest in taking part in the angle.

The price for this year's WrestleMania pay-per-view will be going up from $49.95 to $54.95. It is also rumored that they will be charging $69.95 for High Definition.

- WWE is getting a lot of bad press in Spain. Both La Asociacion de Usuarios de la Comunicacion and La Condereacion Nacional de Padres de Familia y Padres del Alumnos have called for a ban of WWE television during hours children would be watching. Most every major newspaper picked up on the story on February 12th, saying they want WWE banned except from the hours of 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. The same thing happened in Mexico in 1955 which led to Lucha Libre being off television in Mexico City until the late 80s.

- WWE has yet to transform their permanent studio to HD so they are using a temporary studio. Right now they have two state-of-the-art production trucks and are leasing a custom transmission truck for live events. This fall they are expected to make their Hamilton Avenue TV studios fully HD compliant. They are also still taping all broadcasts in both Standard Definition and High Definition as many oversea markers still aren't in HD.

-- USA Network and Sky Sports (UK) are both now listing the May 10th edition of WWE RAW as a three hour special.

-- Kid Kash recently spoke to World Wrestling Insanity Radio about Chris Harris signing with WWE and how he has always had a bit of an attitude problem. The following is a quote from his appearance: "Well I can tell you this right now, if he's still the same way he was in TNA, he won't last very long at all because I can tell you straight up, they won't have it. Know what I'm saying? One thing about WWE, buddy, they are the most professional, put-together, well-organized company that I have ever worked for in my entire life. You know? They're the real deal, man. And if Chris goes up there with the attitude he had whenever I had to deal with him, then I'm gonna be straight with you. The first person that's gonna get on him is JBL and you don’t want that. You know? 'Cause I've seen it. I don’t know how many nights I sat in Wrestler's Court."

According to the USA Network’s schedule, the March 10th edition of WWE Monday Night Raw will be a three hour long broadcast. The program will start at 8pm ET.

Next week’s edition of WWE Monday Night Raw is scheduled to feature the next chapter to the feud between The Big Show and Floyd Mayweather and footage from Maria’s photo shoot with Playboy.

Sky Sports News in the United Kingdom has started to cover the Big Show/Floyd Mayweather storyline. They are showing footage from Sunday’s WWE No Way Out and Monday’s edition of WWE Raw. They noted that Mayweather accepted The Big Show’s challenge and compared the feud to Rocky vs. Hulk Hogan.

WWE originally wanted to do a Rey Mysterio & Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather & MVP match at WrestleMania, but that fell through after De La Hoya said that he was not interested. After the De La Hoya part fell through, Vince McMahon decided he wanted to put Big Show in this angle and push him hard upon his return. As late as this weekend, there was also talk of doing Rey & Mayweather vs. Big Show & MVP match, but then talk switched to using Shane McMahon in MVP's place. It's all moot point now due to Rey's injury, so it will be Big Show vs. Mayweather in some sort of match. Also note, it won't be a "shoot" match.

Shane McMahon had been pushing hard for WWE to use Floyd Mayweather ever since meeting him several months ago in Las Vegas. Shane is a big MMA fan who enjoys hanging around tough guys. Every year he pushes WWE to do some sort of boxing/MMA/K-1 style match.

- WWE developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling began a tournament two night's ago crownd the first ever FCW Tag Team Champions. The winners of the matches will face off at this Saturday night's show to determine the Champs. Carlito's brother Eddie Colon is now working with Eric Perez under the name "The Puerto Rican Nightmares." New WWE Diva Angela Fong is accompanying the team to ringside.

- The White Wolf game developing company has filed suit against WWE for the use of the "Gangrel" name, which is trademarked. The Hollywood Reporter says that WWE licensed the trademark for 5 years, beginning back in 1998, but the company didn't have the rights to use the name when Gangrel appeared on the RAW 15th Anniversary show last year. The suit also notes that David Heath worked as Gangrel for WWE in 2004, and for their developmental territories in 2005 and 2006. WWE will probably attempt to settle the dispute out of court.

- WWE has updated Hornswoggle's storyline injury, saying that Hornswoggle is suffering from swelling of the brain. WWE says he could have additional symptoms including memory loss, severe headaches, dizziness and nausea. They go on to play it up, saying there is no recovery time set for Hornswoggle, but he is expected to be kept by medical team in California for atleast a week or more.

I suppose this means they will be keeping Hornswoggle off RAW next week to sell the injuries.

- I was told that Rey Mysterio will undergo surgery for his torn right biceps on Friday. WWE is going with the storyline that he will undergo the surgery on Saturday; however, they are probably doing so because he is wrestling on SmackDown and they want it to appear more realistic. Mysterio is expected to be out anywhere from four to six months depending on the severity of the injury.

- There is a new article on WWE.com detailing charity work that John Cena and Jeff Hardy did Monday night at RAW where they met WWE's Circle of Champions honorees. The official website reports that the visits were made possible by the Canada's Sunshine Foundation, Children's Wish Foundation International, Inc. and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Click here for the article which includes pictures.

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WrestleMania XXIV Press Conference This Monday

There will be a WrestleMania XXIV press conference at Los Angeles’ STAPLES Center this Monday, WWE.com has learned.

The road to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., will take a star-studded detour as our fans are invited to get the latest news on WrestleMania XXIV first at the STAPLES Center. Those scheduled to be at Monday’s press gathering include: the combatants in the Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship, Triple H, John Cena and WWE Champion Randy Orton; World Heavyweight Champion Edge and his challenger, Undertaker; Candice Michelle; new Playboy cover girl Maria; and Big Show and Floyd “Money” Mayweather.

Monday’s press conference comes one week after Mayweather, regarded as the greatest fighter in the world, accepted a challenge for a match from the 7-foot, 400-pound Big Show, the only Superstar to hold the WWE, ECW and WCW Championships. Big Show laid the gauntlet on Raw one night after he clashed with Mayweather in a melee that left the giant with a bloody nose – and sparked headlines across the world. “Pretty Boy,” who is 39-0, stunned fans and observers when he looked up into the towering Show’s eyes and answered his challenge with an almost defiant “I accept!”

If you can’t make it to the STAPLES Center this Monday, WWE.com will stream the press conference live from Los Angeles this Monday, starting at 3 pm ET/12 pm PT. However, our coverage will begin this weekend, starting on Sunday. WWE.com reporters will be in Los Angeles on Sunday and Monday, covering all angles of this story and bringing you live video reports as developments unfold.

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- As of the time of this writing we do not have an update on Rey Mysterio. I was told that he was scheduled for surgery yesterday afternoon but that WWE was saying that his surgery was to take place today due to storyline purposes on him appearing on SmackDown. We’ll post an update as soon as we get it.

- It appears as if The Big Show is now a SmackDown superstar. Following the airing of last night’s show on the CW Network, his profile was added to the SmackDown Superstars page on the official WWE website.

- We are able to confirm that Vince McMahon was invited to speak at the Congressional hearing scheduled for next Wednesday, February 27th in Washington, D.C. to address the “health of athletes undermining the integrity of competition.” The hearing will include testimony from the commissioners of all major United States sports leagues as well as George Mitchell. The word that we are getting is that McMahon declined the invitation because his attorney Jerry McDevitt would be unable to attend the hearing with him.

Recent WWE Numbers:
- The 2/7 Raw in Anchorage drew 5,500 fans.

- 2/9 Smackdown in Guatemala City drew close to a full house with 6,700 fans.

- 2/10 Raw in Seoul, South Korea drew 6,000.

- 2/10 Smackdown in Guadalajara drew a sell out crowd of 8,500 and more than $500,000 gate.

- 2/11 Raw in Tokyo drew 6,600 and a $650,000 gate.

- 2/12 Smackdown in Tokyo did 6,400 fans.

- WWE SmackDown Diva Victoria posted a new blog on her MySpace page, finally revealing her new business venture. From the blog: I am about to open a custom car shop in Louisville, KY. I am hoping to have the doors open sometime next month. We just finished our first build, which was customizing my Chrysler 300C. I entered it in a national contest, put on by YouTube and Chrysler, and we are one of 25 finalists. The voting is going on right now, so if you get a chance, you can go to www.black-widow-customs.com and learn how to vote for my car.

- Several of you guys sent word that World Heavyweight Champion Edge has a new tattoo on his right underarm. The tattoo is a banner that says "Rise Above" and apparently Edge got it on Monday, as he didn't have it at the No Way Out pay-per-view.

- The iNDEMAND Network will begin airing the Best of RAW - 15th Anniversary special on Wednesday, April 2nd. Also beginning on March 3rd will be the John Cena special on iNDEMAND. Both specials have a three-hour run time.

- Shelton Benjamin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang on last night's WWE SmackDown to qualify for the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania 24. Shelton now joins Mr. Kennedy and Jeff Hardy in the match.

World Wrestling Entertainment issued the following press release to fans in the Los Angeles area:

Dear WWE Fan Nation Member:

WWE will be holding a special WrestleMania XXIV press conference on Monday, February 25 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and all WWE Fans are invited to attend. Join WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, WBC Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather, Big Show, Triple H, John Cena, WWE Champion Randy Orton, Undertaker, World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Maria and Candice Michelle.

What:
Press Conference with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, WBC Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather, Big Show, Rey Mysterio, Triple H, John Cena, WWE Champion Randy Orton, Undertaker, World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Maria, and Candice Michelle

When:
Monday, February 25, 2008 at 12 Noon

Where:
Staples Center
Figueroa Entrance

WrestleMania XXIV comes your way Sunday, March 30, live from the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL, exclusively on pay per view.

ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero will be at the WrestleMania Fan Axxess Tour, signing autographs from 4-6pm today at Universal City Walk, Universal City, CA. For a guaranteed autograph, pick up a wristband at the Fan Nation Station at the start the event. Wristbands are limited to 200 per day.

CM Punk is scheduled to be signing autographs today at New York Sports at The Broadway Mall, Hicksville, NY. He will be there from 2 to 4pm, for more information, call (516) 942-8185. Candice Michelle is also scheduled for an autograph session today at GameStop 3580 Stevens Creek Blvd San Jose, CA 95117, San Jose, CA from 4-6pm.

WWE Diva Victoria has announced that she will be opening a custom car shop in Louisville, KY. She is scheduled to have the shop open some time next month, she noted that they have finished their first build, which was customizing her Chrysler 300C. She also mentioned that she was involved in all aspects of the design of the vehicle, and that she has a crew that are able to complete anything.

Friday night’s edition of WWE SmackDown scored a 2.8 fast national rating. The final rating will be out next week.

ECW Superstar Kofi Kingston defeated "Thee Superstar" Christopher Gray on Saturday night’s Florida Championship Wrestling event in the Jewish Community Center, 9841 Scenic Drive of Port Richey. Billy Kidman also wrestled on the show, losing to Afa Jr.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is scheduled to be travelling to the United Kingdom next week. The Rock will be promoting the March 3rd opening of ‘The Game Plan’. He is scheduled to be appearing on BBC One’s ‘Friday Night with Jonathan Ross’ on Friday night at 10:30pm. The Rock is also being advertised to appear on Sky Sports 1 ‘Soccer AM’ show on Saturday morning from 9am till noon. He will also be attending the premiere of ‘The Game Plan’ in London’s Leicester Square on Sunday, March 2 from 2pm.

- Maryse made her return to WWE programming Friday night on SmackDown, taking part in a backstage segment with Teddy Long. I've heard that WWE has wanted to bring Maryse to TV for some time now, but one of the things holding her back was her use of the English language. I believe Maryse just came to the United States early last year, and her native language is French. She had been down at WWE's developmental system in Tampa after having a few brief appearances on WWE TV last year. It looks like they're going to put her into some sort of racy angle with Teddy Long, possibly the storyline that Kristal Marshall turned down shortly before her release.

- It appears WWE Films failed to land any big names, again, for their next release - 12 Rounds. There were rumors coming out of New Orleans and the entertainment industry last month that big names like Al Pacino, Method Man and Lou Diamond Phillips were going to be involved with the project. The latest report coming out of the industry is that the only notable names involved with the movie are Brian J. White from Stomp the Yard and The Game Plan fame as well as Aiden Gillen from HBO's The Wire. Kyle Russell Clemens from The Staircase Murders will also be in the movie, playing John Cena's brother.

John Cena now has an opportunity to headline WrestleMania in the WWE Title Match, but now he must worry about two men – Triple H and WWE Champion Randy Orton. And Triple H made a statement when he delivered a thunderous Pedigree to both men after he officiated their match last week. What lengths will these Superstars go to mark their territory and gain momentum going into WrestleMania XXIV?

With a bandaged nose and a black eye, Big Show made his first appearance on Raw in more than a year. The 7-footer was there to apologize for his behavior the night before at No Way Out, when he and Floyd Mayweather traded blows. After “apologizing” to the WBC welterweight champion, Big Show then taunted Mayweather into accepting his challenge for a match. The type of match was unspecified, but what type of bout might we expect from these two warriors?

In other Raw action, Mr. McMahon looked on callously as his son, Hornswoggle, suffered a ruthless beating by JBL and lie unconscious in the middle of the ring. As the night began, the little guy had expected to battle his father in a Steel Cage Match. There shown, however, a sliver of light when Hornswoggle’s protector, Finlay, tried to rescue him. But JBL turned out the lights when he attacked the Irishman and handcuffed him to the ring ropes. He then began to pummel Hornswoggle so severely that even Mr. McMahon was taken aback.

What is Hornswoggle’s condition? And what are JBL and the Chairman’s reactions and explanations for the brutal attack? And what are Finlay’s thoughts?

Finally, last Monday, Maria defeated Women's Champion Beth Phoenix in a non-title match to earn a photo shoot in Playboy Magazine. Following the victory, the elated Diva immediately flew to Los Angeles for the ***y spread, which our fans can get an exclusive look at, this coming week on Raw. What will this steamy glimpse bring to Monday night? Don't miss out.

Find out the answers to these questions and more by tuning in to Raw when it emanates live from Phoenix at 9/8 CT on USA Network.

World Wrestling Entertainment are holding their official WWE WrestleMania XXIV press conference today at 3pm Eastern at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, WBC Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather, Big Show, Triple H, John Cena, WWE Champion Randy Orton, Undertaker, World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Maria and Candice Michelle are scheduled to be appearing at the press conference. The stipulations for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show match are expected to be announced and will most likely be some type of gimmick match. WWE.com will stream the press conference live from Los Angeles, starting at 3pm ET/12pm PT. If anyone is attending and would like to send in a live report, email me at andy@pwmania.com.

WWE Superstar Gregory Helms has posted a new blog which is asking fans to go to his website and vote on who he should return as. The choices are, Sugar Shane Helms, The Hurricane, and Gregory Helms. The Hurricane is currently in the lead with 41% of the votes with Gregory Helms at second place with 34%.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was a sole presenter for the Best Visual Effects category at Sunday night’s Academy Awards ceremony in California. John Stewart, who hosted the Oscars made a joke about a steel chair to the back before introducing him as Dwayne Johnson.

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What You Didn't See On This Week's WWE RAW

Dark Match:

- Vladimir Kozlov defeated Dave (last name inaudible) billed from Tempe, AZ with a Torture Race into an over the knees backbreaker. Kozlov is "terrible."

Heat:

- Hacksaw Duggan does a funny promo putting over this being the 500th edition of Heat, talking about the show being the best WWE program, with "the exception of" and then naming every other show you could think of, including some Diva specials. Duggan defeated Jason Riggs. Katie Lea distracted Duggan after the match and Paul Burchill laid him out.

- Jillian Hall screeches, uh, sings "I will always love Heat."

- Brian Ken**** & Val Venis & Super Crazy defeated Snitsky & Charlie Haas & Highlander Robby when Venis pinned Robby with the Money Shot.

Updated WrestleMania XXIV Card - Several Matches Added

After tonight’s edition of WWE Raw, below is the updated card for WrestleMania XXIV. WrestleMania will be live on pay-per-view from the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida on March 30, 2008.

WWE Championship Match
- Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena vs. Triple H

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
- Edge (c) vs. The Undertaker

Money In The Bank Ladder Match
- Confirmed thus far: Ken Kennedy vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Jeff Hardy

Career Threatening Match
- Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels

Playboy BunnyMania
Candice Michelle & Maria vs. Beth Phoenix & Melina

The Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather

Rock Returns

Former WWE Champion, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is confirmed t return to World Wrestling Entertainment during the WWE WrestleMania 24 pay-per-view weekend. The Rock will be taking part in the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony, inducting his father Rocky Johnson and his grandfather, Peter Maivia.

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[Ranma4699]

WWE Announces New Network For WWE SmackDown

MyNetworkTV CROWNS WWE ITS NEW PROGRAMMING CHAMP

Network Is the Exclusive Prime-Time Broadcast Home of “WWE® SmackDown®” Beginning Fall 2008

NEW YORK – MyNetworkTV and World Wrestling Entertainment® (WWE) have announced a new broadcast television home for “WWE SmackDown,” scheduled to debut in Fall 2008. The announcement was jointly made by MyNetworkTV President, Greg Meidel and WWE Chairman of the Board Vincent K. McMahon.

In making the announcement, Meidel stated, “The momentum at MyNetworkTV continues with this major acquisition. We have demonstrated tremendous growth and this partnership with WWE, the premier sports entertainment franchise in the world is a perfect fit for our viewers, advertisers and affiliates.”

The two-hour television program will be presented weekly on MyNetworkTV. “WWE SmackDown” will feature a star-studded cast of WWE Superstars, including Edge®, Rey Mysterio®, Batista®, MVP™, Kane® and Undertaker®, as well as present all the action, excitement, drama and great athleticism that have made it for nine years one of the most popular programs among males on broadcast television, and one of the top ten English language prime time programs among Hispanic households.

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon added, “We are excited to add MyNetworkTV and its television affiliates to our family of global network partners. We have an unmatched record of delivering ratings success to each and every network partner we’ve worked with in our long and storied history. We fully intend to bring that same level of success to MyNetworkTV.”

De La Hoya Speaks On WWE, Mayweather Update, Cena


-- Oscar De La Hoya spoke to the Las Vegas Review about Floyd Mayweather's involvement with WWE leading in to WrestleMania. De La Hoya said he's not worried about Mayweather getting hurt in the ring and he's sure Mayweather will be successful playing a role in entertainment. "Obviously, any visibility a fighter can have is great," he said. "Floyd Mayweather is doing a lot of touring and appearances, which is a plus for our September rematch. The more he does, the better." You can read the full article here.

-- Speaking of Mayweather, SportsIllustrated.com has finally picked up the story which WWE must be happy about. "We've wanted to do something with Mayweather for quite sometime," Shane McMahon told SI.com. "I brought my dad [Vince McMahon] into it because he grew up and did a lot of promotions with [Muhammad] Ali and I told him this guy is Ali-plus. He's tailor-made for our business."

-- The filming of WWE Films' next movie, "12 Rounds" starring John Cena, began filming in New Orleans yesterday. IMDB.com has updated the cast list to remove Al Pacino and Method Man, who were rumored for some sort of roles in the movie.

Shaq/WWE, Michaels Teases Suns Players, Kennedy/Hardy

- The WWE film crew was in attendance at the Phoenix Suns' practice at US Airways Center this morning, filming the newest member of the Suns, Shaquille O'Neal. Before sitting down for a WWE interview on the upcoming Big Show - Mayweather fight, Shaq was asked by local media members if he was a WWE fan, and said, "Of course. My father is the Undertaker."

- Shawn Michaels passed through the throng of reporters waiting for the Suns' practice to wrap up and asked loudly, "Oh, the Phoenix Suns are practicing in there? They don't have three championships!" Michaels is a long time San Antonio Spurs fan and, at least at one point, was a Spurs season ticket holder.

- Later in the afternoon, Mr. Kennedy and Jeff Hardy both shot several funny green-screen videos on the Suns' practice court, which will be incorporated into the Suns' new virtual locker room tour: www.SunsLockerRoom.com The web site, which currently features Suns personalities (Shaq, Nash, the Gorilla, etc), will soon be expanded to include "star dressing rooms," showcasing some of the different shows that stop by US Airways Center, such as WWE.

Backstage News On Jeff Hardy's Attitude In WWE

Even though WWE fans have been voicing their frustration over WWE Superstar Jeff Hardy not winning the WWE Championship at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view and not qualifying for this year’s WWE WrestleMania 24 pay-per-view main event, he doesn’t seem to mind and is pleased with his role. Jeff Hardy has been telling friends that he happy to be getting a great singles push and has been making the most money he has ever made during his career.

Jeff Hardy has just been going with the flow like he always has been and no one is expecting his current push to go to his head.

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John Cena Blasts Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson


Former WWE champion John Cena recently lashed out at Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in a recent interview with The Sun in the United Kingdom. Cena was quoted as saying the following:

"He is a genuinely nice guy and a fantastic human being. What I kind of get peeved about, and this is my Achilles heel, is that I've wanted to do this my whole life. Rock falls into that category. At one point he loved wrestling and wanted to do this all his life. So explain to me why he can't come back. Simply put it's because he wants to be an actor and there's nothing wrong with that. He's very good and very successful. Associating with sports entertainment doesn't do much for his acting career. I get it. Just don't f*** me around and tell me that you love this. That's the only thing that gets me really p***ed off. Our fan base have so much admiration for him, he's got to respect that. He doesn't give anything back"

WWE Raw Rating, Mayweather/WWE Called Career Killing, More

- Last night’s edition of WWE Raw did a 3.5 cable rating on the USA Network according to data compiled by Nielson Media Research. That number is down from last week’s 4.0 that the show did last Monday after No Way Out.

- Floyd Mayweather was spotted celebrating his 31st birthday last night in Las Vegas, Nevada with Keisha Cole.

Reader Michael R sent the following two items:

- I was just watching Pardon the Interruption on ESPN, and the hosts, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, brought up the story of Mayweather getting paid $20 million to wrestle at WrestleMania. I didn't catch entirely what Wilbon said, but right as they were cutting to a commerical, Tony said, "I bet you money, Wilbon, that Mayweather won't step foot in that ring."

- Earlier, I was watching Around the Horn on ESPN. Two of the three journalists that were left on the show, Jay Marioti and Kevin Blackistone, said that Mayweather stepping foot in a wrestling ring would be a "career killling move". Marioti also called Big Show "Mayweather's 7 foot 430 pound oaf of an opponent". The other journalist, Woody Paige, praised Mayweather's decision to get in the ring, and said that most of America only knows Mayweather from Dancing With the Stars.

Updated WWE WrestleMania XXIV Card - Spoilers Included

After last night’s ECW/SmackDown tapings, below is the updated card for WrestleMania XXIV. WrestleMania will be live on pay-per-view from the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida on March 30, 2008.

WWE Championship Match
- Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena vs. Triple H

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
- Edge (c) vs. The Undertaker

Money In The Bank Ladder Match
- Confirmed thus far: Ken Kennedy vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Jeff Hardy

Career Threatening Match
- Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels

Raw vs. SmackDown Match
- Umaga vs. Batista

Playboy BunnyMania
Candice Michelle & Maria vs. Beth Phoenix & Melina

The Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather

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JR Comments On Bobby Lashley's WWE Release & More

When asked whethere WWE would hire an orchestra to play at WrestleMania: How in the blue hell would I know the that question? I mean really, how? Mr. McMahon likes it best when I don’t have any lengthy conversations with him and I do my best to accommodate his wishes.

Regarding Bobby Lashley's WWE Release: Lashley wanted out and no one can be forced to stay if they don’t want to be there. This is a better question for Bobby to answer.

On a possible Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar MMA match: Don’t think that can’t happen. Is it a long shot? Possibly. But a smart promoter is going to keep this match in the back of their mind if both athletes get to the top level of MMA.

When asked whether WWE stars travel together or individually and how WWE transports its rings: The WWE provides travel, hotel and some food on all International tours. They also have rings stored in the various regions they travel.

When asked why The Undertaker did not appear on the RAW specials after when Owen Hart Eddie Guererro died: Much more TV persona than anything. Taker loved both men and had huge respect for them. Please don’t over analyze this matter and make more of it than it simply is.

Confirmed Matches For This Week’s WWE SmackDown

The following matches were taped earlier this week at the WWE SmackDown taping at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona.

Handicap Match
- The Big Show vs. Two Local Wrestlers

Tag-Team Match
- Deuce & Domino vs. Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore

- Chuck Palumbo vs. Jamie Noble

- Batista & Kane vs. MVP & The Great Khali

- Jesse & Festus vs. The Miz & John Morrison

- Big Daddy V vs. Ball Mahoney

- The Undertaker vs. Zack Ryder

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Vickie Guerrero, The Edgeheads, Eve Torres, Maryse and Matt Striker are all scheduled to also be appearing on this week’s edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown.

Confirmed For RAW & ECW Next Week, Maria's Playboy, More

- Tommy Dreamer & Colin Delaney vs. The Miz & John Morrison for the WWE Tag Team Championships have been confirmed for next week’s ECW on Sci-Fi. ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero will also take on CM Punk.

- WWE has also announced that Big Show will fight a "professional boxer" on RAW next week and we will see the unveiling of Maria's Playboy cover.

- Mike Johnson of PWInsider is reporting that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's next film is called "The Tooth Fairy." Filming is scheduled to begin this August.

Story Behind Colin To WWE, 3 Hour Raw, Heat On McMahon

- Bryan Alvarez is reporting that Colin Delaney’s WWE contract is a three year deal. The story behind Delaney getting a shot in WWE is that Brody Lee, who teamed with Colin and Jimmy Olsen in CHIKARA Pro Wrestling was backstage at a WWE event several weeks ago. The company was looking for a guy to get squashed but felt like Brody was too big. According to Bryan Alvarez, Brody called Jimmy Olsen and when he didn’t answer, they got Colin to do the job. The rest is history.

- The USA Network has announced that in addition to the three hour edition of Raw on March 10th, the April 7th edition will also be three hours long.

- Rep. Bobby Rush said that he was "exceptionally and extremely disappointed" that World Wrestling Entertainment chairman Vince McMahon was the only witness to decline the subcommittee's invitation to testify at the congressional hearings in Washington, D.C. today on performance enhancing ****s in sports .

McMahon Responds To Congressional Subcommittee Comments

WWE issued the following statement responding to to Congressman Lee Terry's comments where he commended Committee Chairman Bobby Rush for calling out Vince McMahon.

Any suggestion made today by Members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that I or my organization, WWE, have been uncooperative or that I have in any way “flipped [my] finger� at the Committee by not accepting its invitation to testify today is inaccurate and unfair. The WWE has provided over 3,000 pages of do***ents and cooperated with all requests from the Committee, as we have with similar requests from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The first and only response to our cooperation from the Committee on Energy and Commerce was an invitation to testify at today’s hearing sent to me by Congressman Rush on January 23, 2008. In that letter, he clearly states that I have the right, according to House rules, to be accompanied by my own counsel. I responded to the invitation to testify by declining for that very reason. My attorney of 20 years, Jerry McDevitt, is unavailable because he is currently representing another client on trial in Pittsburgh, PA (U.S. vs. Cyril Wecht). Since I sent my letter of declination 30 days ago, there had been no response from the Committee until today’s unfair and inaccurate comments made by members of the Committee. Despite this, as I pledged in my January 28, 2008 letter to the Committee, I remain willing to cooperate fully with the Committee's inquiry.

WWE also provided two attachments with the statement; A Letter of Declination to Chairman Rush and Chairman Rush’s Invitation to Vince McMahon to Testify.

Hulk Hogan's Affair With Brooke Hogan Friend, Details

According to a tabloid report, Hulk Hogan, who is divorcing Linda Bollea after nearly twenty-five years of marriage, cheated on his wife with a female friend of his teen daughter Brooke.

Thirty-three year old Christiane Plante, who worked with nineteen year old Brooke on her 2006 LP, has confessed to her affair with the fifty-four year old dad of her friend in a snitching report with The National Enquirer.

Christine claims the affair took place in 2007 while the family was shooting their VH1 reality show Hogan Knows Best:

"My relationship with Terry began at a time when Terry and Linda privately knew their marriage was ending. She had left him already, although no official papers had been filed. Terry is a good man, good father and a good friend, and he and I grew close at a time when he was going through a very difficult period. It seemed right then, but I know it was wrong. Having felt the guilt and pain build up, I gave a note to Brooke apologizing for my actions. I will never be able to fully forgive myself for this. I have lost an amazing friend."

2008 WWE Roster Draft?, WWE HD In The UK


-- Jim Ross recently spoke to the Daytona Beach News-Journal in Florida about the possibility of a WWE roster draft in 2008, saying "I assume that there is a chance, but I have heard nothing concrete about this matter. In 2008, I would rather see an influx of new, young talents make their debuts in an organized, systematic process rather than see the same established talents simply change addresses."

-- Sky Sports (U.K.) announced today that they will be adding three more channels to it's HD line-up, including Sky Sports HD 3. Sky claims it will be the only European carrier to have regular HD coverage of WWE, beginning on March 17.

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Rey Mysterio Undergoes Successful Surgery; Full Update

SmackDown Superstar Rey Mysterio underwent successful surgery to repair his torn right bicep in his hometown of San Diego. The hour-long surgery was performed by Dr. David Chao of the Oasis Sports Medical Group, and Dr. Chao told WWE.com, "Mysterio is recovering well after the procedure."

Chao also said that the tear was one of the most significant he has seen, because it was a complete rupture of the tendon. Dr. Chao added, "We brought the tendon back down to the elbow bone where it was needed, and then used suture anchors to keep it in place."

Mysterio injured the right arm while in action overseas in Chile. Despite the injury, the Master of the 619 continued to compete, including challenging World Heavyweight Champion Edge for the gold at No Way Out – competition that Dr. Chao says did not help Rey's well-being.

"Rey made it [the tear] worst by trying to compete with this injury on more than one occasion, but we are confident the surgery has repaired all damage."

As far as a timetable for Rey Mysterio's return to action, Dr. Chao estimates, "this type of injury normally requires a recovery period of six-nine months." However, Chao was quick to point out, "but Rey has shown his body recovers quickly from injury."

Stay tuned to WWE.com for more information on Rey Mysterio's condition following successful bicep surgery.

Kurt Angle Speaks Openly On Benoit/WWE, HHH, & More

Kurt Angle recently spoke very openly with Orlando Quinones of After Hours Spot Radio on several subjects including WWE erasing Chris Benoit's name from the books, his DUI, his family life and much more. You can listen to the interview here. The following is a recap:

- Kurt says that TNA’s goal is to match SmackDown’s ratings, and wants to get it done within the next year.

- Angle says that Booker T is one of the best in the business, and isn’t only a great wrestler but a great coach to the younger guys. He says that when Booker T came in, Booker got him more focused on helping the younger guys which Angle admits he wasn’t doing as much as he could have been.

- On the subject of Chris Benoit, he says that Chris was a very quiet guy who kept to himself, and he never thought Chris would do something like that. Angle said that the first version of the story he heard had Chris’s wife and son dieing from food poisoning which lead to Chris killing himself, but as time went on the real truth revealed itself. Angle says that the Benoit incident was not because of pro wrestling, but because of Chris’ personal decisions, including not taking time off when he needed it as opposed to Angle and Booker who both left when they were unhappy.

- Kurt says that WWE erasing Chris Benoit’s name from the history books is B.S., and you can’t re-write history no matter how bad it was.

- Kurt spoke on his DUI, saying that he had three beers at a restaurant and the only person who said he was driving erratically was some crazy lady that he accidentally cut off. The police questioned people working at two construction sites that Angle passed in his Cadillac Escalade and they didn‘t see anything out of the ordinary. The lady who called the police on him had a DUI herself just three weeks earlier, and actually wrote down his license number to give to the police on the back of a receipt from a liquor store which had enough alcoholic purchases on it to kill three people. Angle says he passed the field tests, but was arrested for not taking the blood test at the advice of his agent. Kurt says his agent is an NFL agent and knows that if they find the pain-blockers Angle takes in his blood test they will blow it out of proportion.

- Kurt says for the first two years of his daughter’s life, he was gone so much working for WWE that she was calling him Kurt instead of Dad because she thought he was a friend of the family. Kurt says that Dixie Carter and Jeff Jarrett give him a schedule that has let him clean up his life and he feels much better about his health and his family now.

- Angle speaks on TNA’s **** testing. He says that Dixie and Jeff are both concerned about keeping their talent clean, and Jeff had Angle tested a few weeks ago.

- In regards to power struggle rumors, Kurt admits that the first month in TNA was very rocky between him and Jeff Jarrett. After the first month though things smoothed out and after a sit-down talk him and Jeff have gotten along great.

- Kurt says that he is very good friends with Bobby Lashley was he was actually the one who got him his WWE try-out. Kurt talks with Lashley every week, and says there’s a possibility he might come to TNA.

- Kurt says that WWE would probably be more innovative and unpredictable if Triple H would just fall back a little bit. Kurt says that The Undertaker is doing things the right way, he is a veteran but he goes in cycles between the main event and mid-card and helps to make new guys in the business. Kurt says that he once told Stephanie that Triple H would be a bigger asset to the company backstage as an agent or creative team member, and out of the ring.

- Kurt says that Brock may have lost his first fight with UFC but he did a great job and just made a rookie mistake. He says that when the referee stopped the fight, he should have put them back in the position they were in rather than standing them up again. Kurt admits that there was a little bit of heat between him and Brock, but has nothing bad to say about him.

Jake Roberts & Scott Hall To Attend WWE Hall Of Fame?

Jake Roberts is scheduled to be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame next month. Apparently he will be given a temporary release from his rehab treatment to attend the award show.

There are also rumblings that Scott Hall, who is in the same treatment facility as Roberts, might attend the H.O.F. ceremony with Roberts.

Roberts is one of the only wrestlers who openly and publicly accepted WWE's rehab offer, and even sent out a thank you letter to Vince. We don't have an update on Roberts' condition, but Scott Hall is said to be doing exceptionally well and looks forward to mending broken business relationships when he completes his treatment.

Update On Shane McMahon's Backstage Role In WWE


Shane McMahon, who previously was only involved in WWE's internet projects, has taken a more active role in the creative process in recent weeks. Shane has been sitting in on meetings and throwing out a bunch of suggestions.

Shane has been credited for putting the Floyd Mayweather deal together. Shane is also said to be responsible for the recent South American tour and has spearheaded an effort to get the company into China.

It's worth noting that Stephanie McMahon is getting ready to take her maternity leave, and Shane could be making an effort to fill her position while she's gone. Whether he gets the spot or not will likely reveal itself by a change in the style of booking we see on TV, as Shane has a different vision for the creative end of the company.

WWE.com Starts 'Industry News' Section With TNA News

In the believe it or not category, WWE has actually started a new section on their official website called "Industry News." The new feature includes articles from various professional wrestling news websites on the Internet as well as newspapers and tabloids with articles that deal with professional wrestling. The section even includes TNA Wrestling news.

You can check it out at WWE.com.

DiBiase Jr. DUI Update, WWE Tryout This Week, SD!/ECW

- As reported earlier, Ted DiBiase Jr. (the son of The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase) was arrested at 3:30 a.m. on the morning of February 15th in Tampa, Florida for DUI. He was driving a Cadillac sports utility van that crashed into another car. Police arrived at the scene and found DiBiase Jr. slurring his speech and believed he smelled of alcohol. A breath sobriety test revealed his blood/alcohol level was 0.14 double the 0.8 legal limit. No one was seriously injured in the accident and DiBiase Jr. was released on $500 bond.

- Former Universal champion in WWC Black Pain was given a WWE tryout in FCW this week. No word yet on if he has been offered a contract.

- Here is the updated lineup for this weekend's SmackDown/ECW house show in Ft. Wayne, Indiana:
* Edge & Big Show vs. Undertaker & Kane.
* U.S. Champion MVP vs. Finlay.
* ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero vs. CM Punk.
* John Morrison & The Miz vs. Jesse & Festus

More On WWE.com's 'Industry News', Hart Interview, MVP

- Apparently WWE has a new page for Industry News section on the official website was created to draw more unique visitors. The feeling is that there is a tremendous market for wrestling news on the Internet and the company is striving to make their website the ultimate destination point for professional wrestling online. There has been some concern about a drop off in traffic on the official WWE website. While the official WWE website is by far the biggest professional website online, the goal is to get even bigger.

- Reader Bryan sent this in... Bret Hart was on KNBR yesterday in San Francisco with Tom Tolbert, the ex-NBA player. Bret spoke candidly about why wrestlers need to have a union and that could've helped Chris Benoit. He also mentioned he liked John Cena but totally disagrees with Cena on his stance about the union. He also gets in little jabs about Hogan and how he will never forgive Shawn Michaels and Triple H. He does a good 5-10 minutes about the Montreal screw-job. Really worth the listen. You can find the interview at this link.

- Reader Tom D. sent this in... I'm going to the SmackDown/ECW tapings in Cleveland next Tuesday and they're advertising Batista vs. MVP for the United States Championship along with still saying Rey Mysterio will be there.

Major Backstage Heat On Cena Over Rock Comments


John Cena got some major heat from veteran wrestlers in the WWE locker room for his negative comments about Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in an interview with The Sun in the UK. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that several people are real upset about Cena's strong words.

"At one point he loved wrestling and wanted to do this all his life. So explain to me why he can't come back. Simply put it's because he wants to be an actor and there's nothing wrong with that." Cena said. "He's very good and very successful. Associating with sports entertainment doesn't do much for his acting career. I get it. Just don't f*** me around and tell me that you love this. That's the only thing that gets me really p***ed off. Our fan base have so much admiration for him, he's got to respect that. He doesn't give anything back."

It's worth noting that these comments were made prior to The Rock agreeing to appear at the 2008 WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony, but The Sun only released them recently.

New WM24 Match, John Legend Performing, Off-Air SmackDown Notes

- For those of you that didn’t read the SmackDown taping results, Batista vs. Umaga was officially added to the WrestleMania XXIV card in a match for brand supremacy on last night’s episode on the CW Network.

- Also announced on last night’s edition of SmackDown, John Legend will perform America The Beautiful at WrestleMania XXIV.

- Here is what happened after SmackDown went off the air (as noted in our Spoiler report): Edge backs up on the outside as Batista’s music hits. Kane’s music follows. Edge is frozen in fear and selling his “injuries.” They back him into the ring, he tries to escape but they put him back in. Kane hits a chokeslam, Batista a Spear, and Undertaker a Tombstone. Kane and The Undertaker exit ringside with their brothers of destruction handshake. Batista goes all around the arena shaking hands with fans on his way out. Edge, finally gets up in the ring and says that Undertaker won’t have Kane and Batista at WrestleMania. Tony Chimmel announces Edge as the World Heavyweight Champion and tells everyone goodnight. Edge’s music plays.

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SD Rating, ROH/TNA & WWE.com, New WWE Studio, Live Events

- Last night’s edition of WWE SmackDown did a 2.6 fast national broadcast rating on the CW Network. Look for the final number to be out later next week.

- A number of people in both Ring of Honor and TNA Wrestling are as baffled as anyone else about the official WWE website including news on their promotions. No one is complaining but everyone that I have spoken with has said it is a very weird move by WWE.

- Today’s edition of the New York Times has an article online profiling Vince and Linda McMahon. The article features a quote by Linda as she refers to Vince as a “marshmallow” and a real “pushover” and talks about Vince sending her a bouquet of yellow roses on Valentine’s Day. The news worthy piece out of the article is that WWE will break ground this summer on a $70 million project that will nearly triple their 39,000-square-foot television studio in Connecticut. The article mentions how WWE just completed a $20 million upgrade to their studio to allow them to broadcast their television in High Definition.

- WWE aired a commercial for this Sunday's SmackDown/ECW house show in Muncie, Indiana. It has been announced that WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Edge will team up with The Big Show to take on The Undertaker and Kane. Plus, ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero will defend the championship against CM Punk. WU Online will be in attendance and will file a report Sunday night. Note from Richard: We are still seeking house show reports from last night's WWE Raw house show from the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Sunny Returning To WWE?, The Rock-WWE

- Tammy Sytch has been telling people that she hopes to be back in WWE before the end of 2008. In a recent interview with the Winnipeg Sun, Sytch said that she has a “good feeling” that she will be back in WWE before the end of the year. Sytch is said to be good friends with WWE divas Maria and Melina.

- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson told Monsters and Critics in a recent interview that he aspires to one day win an Oscar. When asked about wrestling he said, "I probably wouldn't keep getting asked when I'm going back to the ring if I had made a bigger splash about my retirement," he said. "But I retired quietly five years ago. I didn't want it to be a grand exit; I just wanted to walk away. So I thanked everyone I needed to thank and did just that."

Matt Hardy Returns To WWE Tonight; Full Details


We have gotten word that Matt Hardy returned to WWE during an angle tonight with MVP at the SmackDown/ECW live event at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

According to one of our live correspondents, after MVP retained his United States Heavyweight Championship in a match against Jimmy Wang Yang, Hardy came out after MVP proceeded to beat up on Yang. MVP retreated at first but Hardy ended up knocking him out and laying his championship across him.

Matt Hardy has been out of action since undergoing an emergency appendectomy back in November. He appeared on camera at the December 29th Raw taping in Greensboro, North Carolina in an angle with Randy Orton that aired on the New Year’s Eve edition of Raw.

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Matt Hardy's Secret Surgery, WWE/Chinese Talent, More

- Wade Keller of the Professional Wrestling Torch is reporting that Matt Hardy had elbow surgery while he was out recovering from a burst appendix in November. This is one of the reasons why Hardy was out of action for so long, however, he is now said to be 100%.

- ESPN.com has a feature on Floyd Mayweather working WWE’s upcoming WrestleMania XXIV pay-per-view. The piece features video footage of Mayweather at the WrestleMania press conference from last week. You can check it out at this link.

- Carl DeMarco (President of WWE for Canada, Latin America and China) told the Calgary Herald that WWE would like to find a Chinese wrestler to help grow the company in China. He made a comparison to how the NBA has used the success of Yao Ming to gain popularity in the country.

John Cena/NASCAR, Latest On Matt Hardy's Return

- John Cena’s name turned up in an Associated Press article reporting on Carl Edwards’ win yesterday at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The article noted that Edwards and Cena are good friends.

- Expect Matt Hardy to work this week’s SmackDown taping in Cleveland, Ohio. Hardy returned over the weekend at a SmackDown/ECW live event during an angle with MVP. The company is picking up on the feud where it left off and it is likely that both Hardy and MVP will be added to the WrestleMania card in some capacity.

ESPN.com Criticizes WWE & Floyd Mayweather

WWE must be happy to hear that ESPN.com has finally run a story on Floyd Mayweather's upcoming WrestleMania 24 match, albeit a negative one. The story notes that Mayweather will likely make closer to $1 million rather than the $20 million that he, his trainer and Shane McMahon have claimed.

The story is highly critical of Floyd's decision to step into the ring, citing Muhammed Ali's 1979 match against Antonio Inoki in Japan which sent Ali to the hospital with blood clots in his legs from Inoki's kicks.

"The week Mayweather made his debut in WWE, McMahon was on the same program spanking a dwarf with a belt," writes Don Stradley of ESPN.

Bret Hart Speaks Out, Steve Austin, Diva Search Girl

-- Bret Hart was on the KTVU Morning Show in San Fransisco this week talking about steroids in wrestling. Bret said that he thinks concussions were the main thing that led to his stroke couldn't rule out steroids, which he admitted to using during his wrestling career. He said steroids could be banished from wrestling if WWE dropped the hammer down.

-- Former WWE Diva Search contestant Jessica Hatch isn’t giving up on being a pro wrestler. She is currently training with Booker T and his PWA promotion, and was recently selected to be part of Maxim magazine’s Hometown Hotties contest. You can check out her Maxim.com profile here.

-- WWE has put full blame on Lionsgate for the box office flop of The Condemned starring Steve Austin, which was something that lead to WWE’s new deal with 20th Century Fox.

Backstage Reaction To Cena's Comments; Jericho Injured?

- The word going around backstage at this weekend’s WWE house shows was that John Cena's comments that he made in a recent interview to The Sun out of the United Kingdom regarding The Rock were largely taken out of context. While Cena's comments did rub some people the wrong way, I was told that it was not near as big of a deal as was being made on the Internet.

- Speaking of John Cena, he did not work the Raw house shows this weekend. He is currently filming his upcoming movie 12 Rounds in New Orleans, Louisiana. Cena has relocated to the city while the movie is being filmed but will still be appearing on Raw to help build for WrestleMania.

- There was a scary moment at the Raw house show in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on Friday night. Chris Jericho landed on his head while executing his Lionsault during his match with Ken Kennedy. Jericho was said to be shaken up but did not suffer any serious injury as he worked the remainder of Raw house shows over the weekend.

Mae Young/HOF, Finlay vs. JBL, Carlito Qualifies, Snoop Dogg

- Mae Young was announced as the next person to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. Young joins Peter Maivia, Rocky Johnson, and Ric Flair as 2008 inductees.

- Finlay vs. JBL was announced on tonight’s edition of Raw for WrestleMania XXIV.

- Carlito qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV on tonight’s edition of Raw in a match against Cody Rhodes. Carlito joins Jeff Hardy, Chris Jericho, Ken Kennedy, and Shelton Benjamin who have all already qualified for the match. There are three spots that remain.

- It was announced tonight on Raw that Snoop Dogg will be at WrestleMania XXIV and will be involved in the BunnyMania match with Candice Michelle & Maria taking on Melina & Beth Phoenix.

Updated WrestleMania XXIV PPV Card - Another Match Added

After the March 3rd edition of WWE Raw, below is the updated card for WrestleMania XXIV. WrestleMania will be live on pay-per-view from the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida on March 30, 2008.

WWE Championship Match
- Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena vs. Triple H

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
- Edge (c) vs. The Undertaker

Money In The Bank Ladder Match
- Confirmed thus far: Ken Kennedy vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Carlito

Career Threatening Match
- Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels

Raw vs. SmackDown Match
- Umaga vs. Batista

Playboy BunnyMania
Candice Michelle & Maria vs. Beth Phoenix & Melina

John "Bradshaw" Layfield vs. Finlay

Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather

TNA Will Have Presence At WWE Hall Of Fame Ceremony

Several TNA wrestlerrs have purchased tickets to WWE's Hall of Fame ceremony this year. TNA is not planning to disrupt the even or stage a publicity stunt in any way, but rather the wrestlers bought their own tickets because they want to see Ric Flair be inducted into the Hall of Fame. This is a true testament to how much respect The Nature Boy has within the wrestling industry.

There's no word on who actually has bought seats for the ceremony, but depending on who they are WWE may show them on camera. With reports that Scott Hall may be accompanying Jake Roberts to the ceremony, rumors are going around that Kevin Nash may be one of the TNA wrestlers attending.

Cena's Comments, BunnyMania, SD Rating, Celebs At Mania

- The Sun out of the United Kingdom has released the full 6,000 word transcript of their interview with John Cena where he has harsh words for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

- The BunnyMania match at WrestleMania XXIV will be a lumberjack match with all of the divas at ringside as Melina & Beth Phoenix take on Candice Michelle & Maria.

- Last week's edition of Friday Night SmackDown on the CW Network ended up doing a 2.6 broadcast rating.

- Actress Raven-Symone and television personality Kim Kardashian will make appearances at WrestleMania XXIV. Symone will appear in conjunction with the 50 Make-A-Wish children attending the event. Other celebrities already announced for the show include John Legend (who will sing America the Beautiful) and Snoop Dogg.

Major Backstage Heat On Batista, Booker T Fight, More

Batista remains one of the least popular main event wrestlers in the WWE locker room. According to multiple sources within the company, he rubs a lot of people the wrong way with his attitude and what people perceive as arrogance.

The locker room heat on Batista is not quite as intense as it was after he got into a fight with Booker T back in 2006. The feeling amongst wrestlers and WWE staffers at the time was that Batista had it coming and Booker T gained even more respect in the locker room for standing up to him. Booker and Batista eventually worked out their differences in the interest of professionalism.

Fellow wrestlers say that Batista’s two biggest interests in life seem to be women and cars, not wrestling. They also noted that management has spoken with Batista in the past about his behavior with lady friends he has brought backstage as well as his female co-workers.

One wrestler noted that Chris Benoit was Batista’s mentor, and was known to pull Batista aside and keep him in check when his ego was out of control.

The Real Reason Ashley Massaro Has Been Off WWE TV

Rumors about Ashley Massaro being sent home from WWE are unfounded. Ashley posted a message on her MySpace.com page yesterday that she is actually in Los Angeles, California right now and the reason that she has not been on WWE television as of late is because she is suffering from some type of hand injury.

Ashley said that she wants to work but she cannot get medical clearance to do so. Massaro will fly back to Texas this weekend to to see an orthopedic surgeon once again to further assess her injury.

Report: 50 Cent To Accompany Mayweather At WrestleMania

Snoop Dogg won't be the only rapper at WrestleMania. According to an article on MTV.com, rapper 50 Cent will accompany Floyd Mayweather to the ring for his WrestleMania match against Big Show. Mayweather told 50 Cent on Power 105.1 in New York over the weekend that he would like him to accompany him to WrestleMania.

"I'm coming. I'm coming,"� 50 Cent answered

The article goes on to talk about the match and Mayweather's reported payout of $20 million for the appearance.

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Off-Air SD! Notes, Flair In A Cage Match, Maria/Playboy


- Reader Mark V sent word that after the SmackDown taping ended last night Edge walked back up the ramp and was greeted by Kane and Batista. They backed him towards the ring and Kane, Batista, and Undertaker proceeded to beat down Edge, Curt Hawkins, and Zack Ryder.

- It was announced at last night's SmackDown taping that Ric Flair will face Edge, Curt Hawkins, and Zack Ryder on next weeks edition of SmackDown in a steel cage match. The match will not be a career threatening match.

- Maria will be at the Hawaiian Tropic Zone in New York, New York tonight signing autographs from 6-7:30 PM. The WWE Diva and Playboy Cover Girl will have dinner with a contest winner from 7:30-8:30 PM tonight in New York City.

WWE Touts Celebrities At This Year's WrestleMania PPV


Celebrities Pack a Punch at WrestleMania(r) XXIV
March 4, 2008

John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Raven-Symone Join WWE(r) Superstars March 30

Stamford, Conn., March 4, 2008 – In addition to recently announced Floyd Mayweather who will wrestle 7 foot 399 lb Big Show(r) in a David vs. Goliath match up, WWE is packing a Hollywood punch confirming four more celebrities for WrestleMania XXIV. Five-time Grammy-winner and multi-platinum singer, songwriter and performer John Legend will perform "America the Beautiful" live at this year's bash in Orlando, Florida on Sunday, March 30. Snoop Dogg will also be on hand as Celebrity Ring Announcer for a "BunnyMania" match with Playboy cover girls Candice Michelle™ and Maria™ squaring off against the Glamazon™ Beth Phoenix™ and Melina. Also confirmed is popular actress/musician Raven-Symoné, who will be a part of the WWE's biggest wish-granting event ever, hosting the Bacon, Bagels and Biceps brunch and accompanying over 50 Make-A-Wish children at WrestleMania XXIV. Rounding out the extravaganza, Red Hot Chili Peppers will lend their hit single "Snow (Hey Oh)" as the theme song this year.

John Legend's albums -- "Get Lifted" and "Once Again" -- have secured his place as one of the most striking, vital and important American musical artists to emerge in the 21st century. Legend originally gained notoriety as an in-demand all-star studio session writer and musician whose credits included work with Lauryn Hill, Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, Common and Kanye West, among others

Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Broadus is a rare exception in the turbulent world of Hip-Hop, managing to stay tremendously relevant throughout his 16-plus years in the game. From music to movies, video games to clothing lines and now his own hit TV show (E!'s reality series Snoop Dogg's Father Hood), Snoop Dogg is an all-out pop culture icon and household name.

Raven-Symoné is well known as the star of "That's So Raven," "The Cheetah Girls" series and "The Cosby Show" as well as the Dr. Dolittle film series. Raven is starring in and executive producing the upcoming film "College Road Trip," which will be released on March 7 by Walt Disney Pictures and co-stars Martin Lawrence. Her fourth album - titled Raven-Symoné - will be released on April 29, 2008.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/

Media Contacts: Jennifer McIntosh, 203-359-5131
Kevin Hennessy, 203-352-8657
George Cabico, 203-359-5177

Trademarks: All World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, and logos are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ECW is a trademark owned by WWE Libraries, Inc. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Stephanie Furious Over Mayweather Segments

- Bryan Alvarez is reporting that Stephanie McMahon "chewed out" Bruce Pritchard for his work directing the Floyd Mayweather segments on Raw Monday night. The segments were a major disappointment.

WWE On Larry King Live, Orton vs. Hardy, DX, Foley, More


- Vince McMahon, John Cena, Chris Jericho, and Floyd Mayweather are all scheduled to be guests on Larry King Live on CNN on Thursday, March 13th. Obviously the appearance will be to help promote WrestleMania XXIV.

- Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy and Degeneration X vs. Umaga & Mr. Kennedy are being advertised for Saturday’s Raw brand house show from Madison, Wisconsin. If you are attending please be sure to send us a report to this email address.

- The official WWE website has an article on Mick Foley attending a luncheon for the National Guard’s ChalleNGe program. Foley was the WWE guest of honor and was there along with members of Congress.

- Batista is featured on the official WWE website in an article that covers him meeting two Make-A-Wish kids. Click here to read the full article.

WWE Superstars Video Game Challenge, Divas Backstage


- WWE Mobile released a video after the Playboy cover unveiling the other night of Melina and Beth Phoenix backstage griping about Maria being in Playboy and talking about the BunnyMania match at WrestleMania with Maria and Candice. An upset Santino Marella, fresh off being decked by Jerry Lawler, joined the two Divas in complaining about Maria and Candice.

- The sixth annual THQ Superstar Video Game Challenge will be held on 3/27 during WrestleMania Week at the House of Blues in Orlando, FL. Several WWE Superstars and Divas will play in the single-elimination tournament, using SmackDown vs. RAW 2008 on the Xbox 360 system. Last year, ECW Superstar Elijah Burke won the tournament during WrestleMania Week in Detroit, MI. The event will also feature four finalists from North America and Europe who will be competing for two floor seats to WrestleMania 24.

RAW Stars Diss CM Punk, WWE Star Returns, More

- WWE Superstar Kenny Dykstra returned to action last night at the FCW show in Florida. Dykstra had been away with an injury since last year. The SmackDown Superstar lost to TJ Wilson in his return match.

In other news from the FCW show last night, FCW Tag Team Champions Eddie Colon & Eric Perez lost by DQ to Nic Nemeth & Brad Allen. New WWE Divas Taryn Terrell and Angela Fong mixed it up in the ring after the match. Taryn is currently accompanying Nemeth & Allen to the ring while Miss Angela is with "The Puerto Rican Nightmares."

- Carlito and Santino Marella cut a promo before their match with Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly at last week's WWE live event in Kentucky, where they took a shot at CM Punk. Santino asked Carlito why was he wearing a CM Punk t-shirt, and Carlito said he needed something to take a crap on and there was no toilet paper in the building. They had cut Punk's face out of the shirt and many people believed that this was a rib from someone in the back, taking a shot at Punk over some of the rumored heat that has been on him lately.

ECW Rating, Lita Note, WWE In HD Hasn't Helped Ratings


- This past Tuesday nights edition of ECW on Sci-Fi did a 1.2 cable rating according to data compiled by Nielson Media Research. The ECW rating has hovered between 1.2 and 1.4 for the entire year.

- Today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a new article online on Amy "Lita" Dumas and her band the Luchagors. Dumas is quoted in the article as to saying that she could have easily used the corporate backing of WWE while she was still wrestling to help promote her band but she wanted to try a completely different experience.

- The Dallas Morning News has an article online where they talk about WWE not seeing a boost in the ratings since their $20 million conversion to broadcasting in High Definition. You can read the full article at this link.

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John Cena Update, Two Huge WrestleMania Spoilers, More

- Former WWE champion John Cena will be shooting "12 Rounds" through May 12th so he will not be returning full-time until then.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that as things stand right now both Triple H and Undertaker will win titles at WrestleMania XXIV. According to Meltzer this will set the stage for a Triple vs. John Cena program this summer.

Undertaker's winning streak isn't going to be broken at WrestleMania and he was promised last year the long title reign that got curtailed due to injuries.

WWE Weekend Schedule - Cena Not Working, Matt Hardy

- The Raw brand will be in Madison, Wisconsin Saturday night at the Alliant Energy Center. Superstars advertised for the show include Jeff Hardy, WWE Champion Randy Orton, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Umaga, Chris Jericho, and JBL. Raw will then make their way to the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Sunday night in a show headlined by Jeff Hardy vs. WWE Champion Randy Orton. Also advertised for the show is the return of Shawn Michaels & Triple H as Degeneration X to take on Umaga & Snitsky, and Chris Jericho vs. Ken Kennedy. JBL, Santino Marella, Hardcore Holly, Mickie James, and WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix are also advertised.

- Meanwhile the SmackDown/ECW crew will be at the Kolf Sports Center at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Saturday night. The show will be headlined by Kane & Batista vs. World Heavyweight Champion Edge & Big Show. Other names advertised for the show include CM Punk, ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero, Matt Hardy, U.S. Champion MVP, Finlay & Hornswoggle, Mark Henry, Victoria, Chuck Palumbo, Big Daddy V with Matt Striker, Tommy Dreamer, Kelly Kelly, Jamie Noble, Shelton Benjamin, Kofi Kingston, and Jesse & Festus. The SmackDown/ECW crew will then hold an afternoon show on Sunday at the Five Flags Center in Dubuque, Iowa. World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Batista, Rey Mysterio (who probably won’t be there), Kane, Matt Hardy, and MVP are advertised for the show.

- John Cena will not work live events again this weekend as he is currently filming 12 Rounds in New Orleans, Louisiana. As you read above, Matt Hardy is advertised for live events this weekend so it would appear that he will be back on the road with WWE.

Kennedy In A WWE Movie, 3 Hour Raw Moved, Jake Roberts

- Ken Kennedy told Power Wrestling, a German wrestling magazine, that he has signed a contract to be featured in an upcoming movie produced by WWE Films. Kennedy noted that it is an action movie that will be shot in Puerto Rico.

- The scheduled three-hour Raw for April 7th in Albany, New York has been moved to the April 21st edition of Raw in Greenville, South Carolina according to the schedule on the official website of the USA Network.

- Jake "The Snake" Roberts is booked for UXW’s "Hardcore Hell" show at the Central Florida Fairgrounds at 2 PM in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, March 29th. Roberts will replace Raven who was originally scheduled for the show but could not make it because he will be working in Portugal. Abdullah the Butcher will also be at the show. There have been rumors that Roberts is a candidate for this year's WWE Hall of Fame.

Maria Fans Turned Down, Hulk Hogan, D-X Reunites

-- The Virgin Megastore in Times Square actually sold out of the Playboy issue featuring Maria yesterday and turned away a bunch of fans for the autograph signing. The line for the 12:00 PM signing started forming at 5:00 AM. Maria is scheduled for a signing on March 13 in Los Angeles.

-- WWE is back on the road with house shows all weekend, leading into the three hour RAW on Monday night which will feature wrestlers from all three brands. D-X will reunite at the March 9 house show at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin in the main event against Umaga & Mr. Kennedy.

-- Hulk Hogan was featured on the debut of “A Day in the Life of Bubba the Love Sponge” on HowardTV. Bubba brought out his son to meet Hogan, who was with a woman whose face was blurred out.

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Benoit/WWE TV, RVD Says TNA Is A Step Down, WM XXIV
- WWE 24/7 is slowly starting to show Chris Benoit more and more on the old Nitro clips. He is still edited out of his interviews and matches, and while there are no plans to change that, the philosophy now is he can be shown as long as it’s not in a match, a promo, or a melee where he’s a focal point.

- In a recent interview, Rob Van Dam said he would consider TNA but anything other than WWE is a step down. He also said that the formula to make it to the top in WWE involves politicking, kissing ass, stabbing people in the back, and holding people down.

- The WrestleMania AXXESS tour will be in the Chicago area this weekend. Mick Foley, Jimmy Yang, Maria, Shannon Moore, and Candice Michelle are all scheduled to appear.

Latest Update On Bobby Lashley & His Future
Bobby Lashley is currently training full-time for a career in Mixed Martial Arts. While Lashley is heavily considering MMA, he has not completely shut the door on resuming his career as a professional wrestler.

I am told that Lashley and his advisers will continue to explore his options. Lashley is good friends with Booker T and will be training at his wrestling school in Houston, Texas. The former ECW Champion is currently living in Colorado.

As we have previously reported, Booker T and Kurt Angle have pushed for TNA management to offer him a deal when his WWE contract expires in May.

MITB Ladder Match, Jeff Hardy Doesn't Work, More Notes
- MVP qualified for the WrestleMania XXIV Money in the Bank ladder match at last night's SmackDown/ECW house show. MVP beat Jamie Noble to become a participant, only two spots remain as Carlito, Jeff Hardy, Chris Jericho, Ken Kennedy, and Shelton Benjamin have already qualified.

- Jeff Hardy did not work last night's Raw house show in Madison, Wisconsin despite being advertised.

ECW Star Attacked Backstage, The Rock vs. James Bond?

- WWE Mobile aired a video on Tuesday night after Stevie Richards lost to Shelton Benjamin, his first loss since returning to ECW. Stevie was talking with Lena Yada when Mike Knox attacked him, leaving him lay on the ground. Knox told Richards: "Nobody cares about you Stevie, your time is over. And when I'm done with you, people will remember the name Mike Knox."

- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson tells PR-Inside.com that he is a huge fan of the James Bond movies and would love to play one of the villains in the movie. “I would jump at the chance to be a (James) Bond baddie.” This same article notes that Johnson is distancing himself from playing tough-guy roles in movies. The former WWE Champion said he would make an exception if he were offered a part in the Bond movies. James Bond: Quantum of Solace which releases this year is done shooting, so if The Rock would like to battle 007 on the big screen, he would have to wait until Bond 22 in 2010 and Bond 24/25 which will follow.

Heat On Coachman, Changes To Announcers On WWE TV
- Jonathan Coachman has been taking a lot of heat recently because he is not doing near that job that JBL was doing and doesn’t offer much. An incident happened a few weeks ago where the Undertaker was brawling by the announcers table, and Coach stayed in position when the action came close when he was suppose to run away to sell danger. He was punished by having to go to the ring after a show and take several main eveners’ finishes. He took a tombstone from Undertaker, a spear by Batista, and a shillelagh shot from Finlay.

- Speaking of the commentary on WWE television, Vince is giving the announcers a new direction while calling matches. Vince wants more storytelling and less calling holds. Instead of screaming during major angles (like they do on TNA) he wants the announcers to lay out and not say anything. The feeling is that the programming will feel more “real” and not as “staged” with fewer/weaker voices. Joey Styles in particular has been told to announce more low-key and not to raise his voice, and to stop calling moves so often. This is basically a 180 degree direction from what made Styles so popular and such a good announcer. Jim Ross has also been given similar direction.

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Nick Nemeth, Victoria Misses Show
- For those that have asked, Nick Nemeth (formerly Nicky of the Spirit Squad) is currently working in WWE's Florida Championship Wrestling developmental territory in Tampa, Florida. He is now working under the name “The Natural" Nic Nemeth as a developmental wrestler. Nemeth's official website is back online at NickNemeth.com.

- Mike Johnson of the Professional Wrestling Insider is reporting that the reason that Victoria missed the Raw house show on Saturday night in Oshkosh, Wisconsin was because of travel issues from the bad weather conditions in the Mid-West.

Top Raw Star To SD!, News On Tonight's Raw, WM25
- Right now the current plan is to have the Batista vs. Umaga match end controversially at WrestleMania with Umaga switching to SmackDown to continue the program. The long-term plan is for Undertaker to defend the world title against Umaga at SummerSlam this August.

- Tonight's three-hour WrestleMania rewind Raw special was the creation of Brian Gewirtz. As we have been reporting, Floyd Mayweather will be there live; Randy Orton will be the GM which indicates a Triple H vs. John Cena main event.

- WrestleMania 25 has been confirmed to be held on April 5, 2009 at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The venue is similar in size to Ford Field which means they will probably get around 75,000 tickets for the event.

Matches Announced For This Week's SmackDown/ECW Tapings
WWE will tape this week's edition of SmackDown and ECW tomorrow night at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois. SmackDown will be headlined by Ric Flair vs. World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Zack Ryder, & Curt Hawkins in a 3-on-1 steel cage match. MVP will also put his United States Championship on the line again this week on SmackDown against Batista.

On tomorrow night's edition of ECW, The Miz & John Morrison will put the WWE Tag Team Titles on the line against Colin Delaney & Tommy Dreamer in an extreme rules match.

HBK Working SmackDown, JBL/Finlay, New WWE IC Champion
- Shawn Michaels will work tomorrow night's SmackDown taping with Ric Flair in his steel cage match against Edge, Zack Ryder, and Curt Hawkins.

- It was announced on tonight's edition of WWE Raw that Finlay vs. JBL at WrestleMania XXIV will be a "Belfast Brawl."

- Chris Jericho defeated Jeff Hardy on tonight's edition of WWE Raw to become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion. Both competitors are participants in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV later this month.

Cena/Orton's Opponents Next Week; Big Show/Mayweather, McMahon
- Triple H (who will be “in charge” of his WrestleMania opponents John Cena and WWE Champion Randy Orton on next week’s Raw) announced at the end of tonight’s edition of Raw that Cena and Orton will tag together to face the entire Raw roster on next week’s show.

- They did an angle on tonight’s edition of Raw during the Floyd Mayweather/Big Show “weigh-in” segment for WrestleMania that turned Big Show face and Mayweather heel. Big Show tossed Mayweather out of the ring over the top ropes onto wrestlers outside. Mayweather got up from the fall, selling an elbow "injury." Jim Ross announced later in the broadcast that Mayweather did suffer an elbow "injury", however, it is kayfabe and not legitimate.

- It was announced on Raw tonight that Vince McMahon will be immortalized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday in Hollywood, California. The star will be located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd., next to Hollywood and Highland, near the famed Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. The ceremony is open to the public and will begin at 11:30 AM Pacific.

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Big Show/Meather Fight Gets Legit, WWE On ESPN, More
- Last night’s WrestleMania “weigh-in” segment on Raw between Floyd Mayweather and Big Show almost turned into a full-blow shoot on live television, reports Mike Johnson of the Professional Wrestling Insider. Apparently there were some members of Mayweather’s posse that wanted to prove how tough they were and began to stiff some wrestlers. Some wrestlers went right back at them for a minute before order was finally restored. Shawn McMahon was legitimately knocked down on the ramp. After the segment ended there was said to be a lot of tension between Mayweather’s posse and WWE superstars backstage.

- Big Show tossing Floyd Mayweather out of the ring over the top rope on Raw was the #9 top play on ESPN’s SportsCenter. Exactly what WWE wanted to happen.

- Carlito defeated Cody Rhodes in a dark match before last night’s WWE Raw at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Breaking News: Top Raw Superstar Suspended For 60 Days
Jeff Hardy suspended for 60 days
STAMFORD, Conn. – In accordance with its Substance Abuse and **** Testing Policy, WWE has suspended Jeff Hardy for 60 days, for his second violation of the company’s policy.

More Information On Jeff Hardy's Suspension
Jeff Hardy did meet with Vince McMahon last night at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin before Raw started. As a result, Hardy did drop the Intercontinental title and has been removed from the Wrestlemania money in the bank match.

Jeff Hardy Removed From WrestleMania MITB Ladder Match
Jeff Hardy has been officially removed from the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV. The official WWE website has removed his photo from the match preview on their WrestleMania sub website as well as any mention of him qualifying.

Expect a replacement to be named soon as there are now three open spots in the Money in the Bank ladder match that will feature Ken Kennedy, Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, MVP, and Carlito.

More On Jeff Hardy's Suspension; One More Chance
As we reported early this morning, Jeff Hardy has been suspended 60 days from WWE for his second Wellness Policy violation. Here is some more information on his suspension:

- One more violation of the WWE Wellness Policy will result in Jeff Hardy's mandatory release from the company.

- WWE has officially removed Hardy from the WrestleMania preview and he will not be participating in the Money in the Bank ladder match.

- The WWE locker room was informed of Jeff's suspension last night before Raw began. Chris Jericho was told he was to go over Hardy and win the Intercontinental Championship.

Backstage Reaction To Jeff Hardy's 60-Day Suspension
There was shock and disbelief in the WWE locker room last night when word of Jeff Hardy's impending suspension made the rounds. Hardy is pretty well liked backstage, but there was a lot of disappointment after the news broke which lead to several guys asking out loud "Can you believe what an idiot he is?"

Even guys in the company who have used substances in the past have realized that the rules have changed in WWE and you can't do things anymore that you might have gotten away with back in the day.

2 New Mania Matches; Another MITB Participant (Spoilers)
- It was announced during tonight's ECW on Sci-Fi taping that a 24 man Battle Royal featuring talent from Raw, ECW, and SmackDown will take place at WrestleMania XXIV where the winner will immediately face Chavo Guerrero at the pay-per-view for the ECW Championship. There was a least talk of doing one or both of these matches as dark matches before the pay-per-view and including them on the DVD. However, I would say that the likely scenario calls for the Battle Royal to be dark and the ECW Championship match to be included. We should out soon enough as the announcement will air on tonight’s edition of ECW.

- CM Punk defeated Big Daddy V in the main event of tonight's ECW on Sci-Fi to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania. CM Punk joins Shelton Benjamin, Carlito, Chris Jericho, Ken Kennedy, and MVP who have already qualified for the match.

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Detailed Off-Air Report From Monday's WWE Raw
I was at RAW Monday night in Milwaukee and I figured I send in a live report of the things that werent on TV seeing I haven't seen one posted yet. Ive been to every WWE event in Milwaukee since 2001 and this was the most full the arena has been in probably 4 or 5 years. Only the non-TV side of the upper level was tarped off. It was also the best crowd in awhile. Usually the Milwaukee crowd is pretty dead and mostly younger kids and parents. This time the crowd was great and had a good mix.

Dark Match
Carlito defeated Cody Rhodes
It was a pretty good back and forth match with a bunch of false finishes. Carlito finally picks up the win after the Back Cracker.

Lilian sings the national anthem. A few ring crew bring the casket out to the stage. JR and King come out and its time to start RAW already.

They do the opening pyro and while they were still showing the crowd before Flair came out the TV camera they have on the big crane looking thing that they move around ACTUALLY FELL OFF and hit someone in the head. Then the whole thing then tipped over. It took them a good 10 minutes just to pick it back up. They also took the guy it hit out in a wheel chair and it looked like he was in lala land. Lawsuit anyone? They just put the âœcraneâ€� (Im not sure exactly what itâs called) in the corner and it wasnt until the last hour of the show before they started to use it again.

After the Flair HBK segment the lights go out and they play the creepy druid music the entire commercial break as the druids come out.

After the casket match Todd Grishiam comes out looks for the best signs in the audience. Then they show Kennedy backstage. He cuts a promo saying that he is from Wisconsin and he feels he has to get something off his chest. He talks about how Brett Favre retired last week and said he could play but doesn’t want to. He then calls Favre a cry baby and that he turned his back on his team to HUGE heat from the crowd. He then says he was glad he was never a Packers fan. More heat. Obviously the entire point of the promo was to get heat from the crowd so they would boo him when he came out on TV because he is suppose to be the “bad guy�. It worked because before people were cheering for him and after it was more boo’s then cheers.

After the Finlay beat down it took Kennedy a long time to get up. The refs had to carry him out. It seemed like he injured his knee because he wasn’t walking on it. Not sure if he was just selling the injury or if it was legit but he was down for a long time and for something they didn’t use on TV it seemed like they
sold it a little too much if it wasn’t real.

For the Jericho Hardy match the crowed seemed to be more into Jericho which was a surprise to me. Hardy didn’t get a very big pop like he usually does which I thought was very strange. The crowd was really into the match, probably the best match of the night. Lots of Y2J chants during the match.

During the commercial after the Jericho/Jeff match Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff make there way to the ring along with a ref to help them. Most of the crowd was dead for the whole segment as most of them had no clue who Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, Barry Windham, or Mike Rotunda were.

At some point Mickie James comes out to do the Kiss Cam.

Mayweather got big heat during the weigh in segment. Also huge “What� chants during it. Big Show was over huge after he tossed Mayweather over the top rope. During the commercial Big Show and his “posse� posed at the top of the ramp and got huge cheers.

Now one of the most bizarre moments yet funny moments I’ve ever seen at a live event. After the ring crew took out the black carpet that was in the ring a ring crew guy began to sweep the ring. All of a sudden I heard cheers and began to look around to see what people were cheering about. The cheers got louder and louder and I soon realized the crowd was cheering the boom guy. Then out of nowhere the entire crowd starts chanting “Sweep Sweep Sweep Sweep� as the chants got louder and faster the broom guy started sweeping faster and faster. I mean the guy was really going at it. Then he stopped and got a HUGE pop from the crowd and raised the broom in the air and pumped it above his head a few times. I was laughing so hard I was crying. Maybe it was one of those you had to be there moments but it was really a totally bizarre and strange moment.

During the commercial break after Edge came out he cuts a great promo. It’s a shame that it wasn’t on TV but you can watch it on WWE.com. Highlight was when he was looking in the crowd and someone was holding a “RIP Edge� sign and Edge says “No kid I will not rest in peace!� to huge heat.

After the Cena match they showed Triple H on the screen above the ring but not the titan tron. They didn’t have the sound so we couldn’t hear what he was saying. After Cena leaves HBK is in the ring and then Otron gets up and is met with some Sweet Chin Music. HBK shrugs and leaves. Orton gets up again and has Lillian announce him as the WWE Champ before he leaves.

Biggest Pops
Cena
Triple H
Batista
Taker
Big Show (after he threw Mayweather over the top rope)
Broom Guy (100% serious)

Biggest Heat
Mayweather
Kennedy
(during his promo)
Orton
Cena
Edge

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Major Update On Jeff Hardy’s 60-Day Suspension, Details

Before this week’s WWE Monday Night RAW, Jeff Hardy had a long meeting with Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis to discuss Jeff’s 60-day suspension for violating the wellness policy. WWE spokesperson Gary Davis would not specify which **** Jeff Hardy tested positive for when asked by the Associated Press. Multiple sources are saying that Jeff Hardy’s suspension is related to recreational **** use and is not attributable to performance enhancing ****s.

Jeff Hardy was said to be subdued and mindful of his words while being in front of most members of the locker room on Monday. He knows that anything he said could come back to him and get him into even deeper trouble with the company. It is yet to be confirmed whether or not WWE management will be sending him to seek treatment.

The WWE wellness policy states that WWE officials have the right to suspend a second time offender indefinitely without pay if the wrestler refuses to seek treatment if asked by company officials.

Updated WrestleMania XXIV Card - Contains *Spoilers*


- After last night's ECW/SmackDown tapings below is the updated card for WrestleMania XXIV. Please be advised that spoilers are included and if you want to be surprised, stop reading now. WrestleMania will be live on pay-per-view from the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida on March 30, 2008.

Triple-Threat WWE Championship Match
- Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena vs. Triple H

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
- Edge (c) vs. The Undertaker

ECW Championship Match
- Chavo Guerrero (c) vs. Raw/SmackDown/ECW Battle Royal Winner

Money In The Bank Ladder Match
- Confirmed thus far: Ken Kennedy vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Carlito vs. MVP vs. CM Punk vs. John Morrison

Career Threatening Match
- Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels

Raw vs. SmackDown Match
- Umaga vs. Batista

BunnyMania Lumberjack Match
- Candice Michelle & Maria vs. Beth Phoenix & Melina

Belfast Brawl
- Finlay vs. John "Bradshaw" Layfield

Raw/SmackDown/ECW 24-Man Battle Royal
- Winner gets a ECW Championship shot the night against Chavo Guerrero.

Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather

Live News & Notes From This Week’s SD/ECW Tapings

- The crowed at this week’s SmackDown/ECW tapings went mad for CM Punk, throughout his entire match. He started to run around the area with the fans after for a while.

- During the Friday Night SmackDown taping, there was some kind of technical difficulty with the test messaging results for the Divas Swimsuit competition.

- There was hardly any reaction to the Money In The Bank Qualifying match.

- Kane got a great reaction from the crowed, especially when his pyro affect came on.

- The stars in the Cage Match were great, the match was really well done with the crown exploding when the lights went out for the Undertaker.

- The dark match featured Big Show vs. Undertaker, Edge came in and took Big Show’s place during the match. Undertaker ended up winning. Edge really sold the tombstone by the Undertaker with the crowed loving the dramatic finish.

- The Arena was roughly 90% to 95% full.

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Kurt Angle Bashes Triple H, Shawn Michaels, McMahon, More
The Sun out of the United Kingdom recently interviewed TNA Champion Kurt Angle in their WrestleCast feature. The publication has published some quotes from the interview in an article now online. Below are some of the highlights:

On Triple H burying him backstage because people cheered him more than John Cena - “Triple H obviously wanted to bash me because I was a better wrestler than him and I deserved to be in the spot that he was in but he was never going to give up, he’s Vince’s son-in-law.

“I had to deal with that stuff all the time. I’d wrestle Shawn Michaels and I’d get a little rough with him, then I’d get heat from Vince McMahon because I beat up on Shawn too much.

“So I’m like - ‘Well you know what, I’m tired of the two long-haired sissies. If they can’t go up against me then don’t put them up against me.”

On Vince McMahon - “TNA is where I want to be and I’m happy where I am. Vince McMahon can kiss my ass.”

Ron Killings/WWE Update, RAW News, John Morrison, More
WWE Tag-Team Champion John Morrison, has now launched an official page on My Space, located at www.myspace.com/officialjohnmorrison.

WWE Monday Night Raw’s 3-hour special landed the number one spot among both Adults and Men 18-49. The show was ranged as 70% male with a median age of 34.

Ron Killings, who is currently under a WWE contract, told Mexico’s AAA promotion that he would not be able to perform the remaining days he had scheduled and referred WWE as why he has to leave. Ron Killings was not expected to start appearing on WWE television until after WrestleMania 24. Nothing has been confirmed whether or not things have now changed.

Details On Incident w/Mayweather’s Posse & WWE Stars
Reports are suggesting that Floyd Mayweather’s posse used the scripted shoving match on this past week’s Monday Night Raw to prove themselves to the WWE Superstars.

One observer said, “His guys were very anxious to demonstrate their prowess,” the ringside observer reported seeing a member of Mayweather's posse shove Shane McMahon and Chuck Palumbo to the ground. A second source said that he believes that Shane McMahon might have inadvertently hit the deck after getting caught up in the melee. WWE did show Shane McMahon on the ground on Raw, however they did not show what caused the fall.

An industry source said that it would be shocking if there was any form of retaliation from the WWE Superstars, as some Superstars were upset about the incident.

Although the WWE Superstars are not happy about the incident, they do realize that WWE is getting a lot of mainstream publicity due to the storyline and any outbursts would not go well with Vince McMahon.

Jim Ross Speaks On Jeff Hardy’s Suspension & More
Jim Ross updated the blog section of JRsbarbq.com and addressed Jeff Hardy’s suspension in detail. He also speaks on the "Battle of the Posses" incident on Raw. Below are some of the highlights:

The 60 day suspension, without pay, for a second violation of the WWE Wellness Program of Jeff Hardy is making headlines on several fronts. This is Jeff’s second strike and with one more he is out of the WWE, which would be a terrible waste of talent and opportunity. To say I am disappointed in these recent events would be an understatement and for those of us who have long believed in Jeff and have pulled for him throughout his career, these self inflicted wounds are especially distressing. For any one to accurately predict what the future holds for Jeff is nothing more than speculation. Only Jeff can determine those answers but the one thing a talent can ill afford to lose is the company’s trust they work for. Obviously trust has to be an issue at this point in time between the WWE and Jeff Hardy. I can remembering sharing with Shawn Michaels many years ago during one of his darkest periods that I still believed in Shawn and, luckily for all involved, HBK made it back to the WWE a better man and is a bigger asset today for the WWE than he was in his prime. Jeff is still a young man and can still be a big time player in the WWE if Jeff so chooses. Interesting days lie ahead for Jeff Hardy and I for one hope he is able to address his issues, take responsibility for his actions, and get back on the road to happiness and success.

One thing I want to add here is that the wrestling business is challenging, at best, and by the general nature of the beast doesn’t feature too many "easy days at the office". If one is not having fun in the business, the end is inevitable and becomes not a matter of if but when. I would love to know if Jeff was having fun in the business or if it was burn out or simply other issues that caught up to him. I can relate with the pressures of the business weighing heavily on those who care and sometimes that weight can be perceived as insurmountable.

Many I have spoken with have mentioned the passion in which the "Battle of the Posses" was presented Monday night on Raw. That was not manufactured passion and the entire matter could have easily gotten out of hand and still may before all is said and done. Mayweather’s people tried to impose their physical will on many WWE Superstars which did not set well with some. Even after the TV show ended there were still several wrestlers fuming about the cheap shots "Money’s" Posse took. I would not be surprised if both sides weren’t looking forward to the next time they all "gather at the river". Mayweather and his entourage kept largely to themselves on Monday, in what was a tension filled day leading up to the live, 3 hour TV show.

I still have no idea exactly what sort of stipulations the Mayweather-Big Show contest will feature. Upon further review, does it matter? I can only assume Floyd will wear boxing gloves as he customarily does and that Show will not as he customarily does. In the old days when there would be a traditional boxer vs. wrestler match that was usually what occurred. My guess is that we will likely not know the exact nature of the bout until WM24.

Latest Update On Rey Mysterio; Recovery, Surgery, More
It was reported by WWE.com that Rey Mysterio did more damage to his right biceps when he continued to work with the torn muscle by wrestling Edge and Chavo Guerrero the week after the injury.

Surgery was performed by the doctor of the San Diego Chargers, Dr. David Chao. When Chao opened up Mysterio, he said it was one of the worst biceps injuries he had ever seen, a complete rupture of the tendon. Chao said he expected Mysterio to be out six-to-nine months however that could be a work.

The original procedure, which was just developed, was said to speed up recovering time significantly, and Mysterio would be back in approximately six weeks. However if the tear was so bad that they had to use the usual method, then six to nine months is the normal recuperation period. Of course Rey is ready to get back to action as soon as possible.

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50 Cent/WrestleMania, WWE In Theaters, & More
-- While WWE hasn’t confirmed that 50 Cent will be accompanying Floyd Mayweather at WrestleMania 24, it does sound like the rapper is a long-time wrestling fan. On his recent album Return Of The Bodysnatchers pt.2 he has a lyric comparing himself to Ted “Million Dollar Man” DiBiase and one of his rival rappers to Virgil.

-- WWE and Columbia Records are releasing "WWE: the Music, Volume 8" on March 25 with music from Saliva, Airborne and others.

-- WWE Films is releasing the "Greatest Super Stars of WrestleMania" in Carmike Cinemas all over the U.S. this weekend starting Friday, March 14.

WrestleMania Battle Royal, Heat On Punk?
- Expect the 24-Man Battle Royal at WrestleMania that will feature talent from all three brands to include anybody who is a regular on television who does not already have a WrestleMania match. The match, which will determine the number one contender for the ECW Championship, will likely be kept very short.

- There are still reports circulating around the Internet that there is backstage heat on CM Punk, however, they are not true. One source told me, “Think about it, if there were heat on CM Punk why would the company put him on Raw against Edge and in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania?” Apparently the reports stem from people that do not like CM Punk as there are some of the boys that do not like the way that he comes across. Some people backstage see Punk as a “know-it-all” thus there are reports leaked that he is not liked.

The Great Khali Taking Time Off, Molly Holly News, More
- Former WWE Women's Champion Molly Holly was in attendance at the Victory Pro Wrestling 2 Year Anniversary show on 3/8.

- WWE will be returning to wrestling legend Terry Funk's hometown of Amarillo, TX for the first time in years on 6/22 at the Civic Center. One has to wonder if they will do anything with the Funk family.

- A new media article out of India notes that The Great Khali is looking to take Bollywood by storm and will star in "Ramaa - The Saviour" which is a children's adventure film. The movie will be shot in Vietnam and Burma, most likely later this year. The article notes that Khali made it clear that his debut Bollywood role should be a positive role, as he has a huge fan following in India, especially among the kids. There are other movie roles in Bollywood that Khali is considering and he wants to work with a number of top movie stars there.

Matt Hardy Clears Up Misinterpretations From Blog
Matt Hardy posted a blog last night clearing up misinterpretations of a "Cryptic Blog" he posted shortly after his brother Jeff was suspended by World Wrestling Entertainment for violating their Wellness Policy. Below is his blog:

It has been brought to my attention that several of the "journalists" that "report" pro wrestling have commented on my most recent blog, "The Seventh Cryptic Blog." Cryptic blogs are one of my different blogging styles. Due to the fact that I’m a big fan of blogging, I like to change up my style of writing to keep things fresh and entertaining. My concept behind a "cryptic blog" is very simple-I take situations that are currently revolving around me, and write about them. I convey my thoughts in a very broad, abstract, and colorful way so that the readers can make their own interpretations of my words. It’s very similar to a song that has vague, abstract lyrics that allows you to draw your own opinions and conclusions based on your own personal experiences.

The reason I just explained my cryptic blog concept was to clear up a couple of incorrect translations that the "Internet Wrestling Community (IWC)" have taken and ran with. The inaccurate interpretation is of Article C-

"C-I know two people of different genders who are in a dilemma at this time. One of these individuals I am extremely close with-the other one I used to be. The thing that worries me is that they’re both playing around in the deep water and can’t swim. I can swim. Ironically, Eulogy by Tool just came up on random."

This paragraph is about a former couple, one of my close friends, and her ex. Neither one of them can seem to move on (swim) from their bad relationship experiences with one another. It’s really adversely affected their personal lives and they’re both metaphorically "drowning" in the "ocean" of negativity, sorrow, and pity. Through my own personal experiences, I’ve learned how to "swim" away from an unhealthy relationship to avoid doing personal and career damage to myself (Although I had to learn the hard way in 2005). When Eulogy by Tool randomly played on my iTunes, it was ironic caused I had just told my friend earlier that she should "bury the relationship" once and for all.

The reason I deciphered this portion of my cryptic blog was to put an end to some of the "interpretations" that the IWC have made. Several people have speculated that the male in Article C was my brother, Jeff Hardy, which isn’t true. As unfortunate as the situation is concerning Jeff, I’m not worried about his health or well-being in the slightest. I know my brother will be absolutely fine even though he has suffered a career setback. Jeff is one of the best human beings I know, regardless of the fact that he’s my brother. One of the names I saw circulating around as the female was Ashley Massaro, which is now obviously inaccurate as well. Although I do see how people could misinterpret my words, given one of my statement-"One of these individuals I am extremely close with-the other one I used to be." Ashley is a awesome girl who I wish nothing but the best for. I wanted to address these misinterpretations so that the spreading of any untrue rumors originating from my "cryptic blog" would immediately cease. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and make sure to pass this info on to your favorite IWC information source.

God bless the IWC and all the opinions, view points, speculation, misinformation, and rumors that come with it--I appreciate your passion for pro wrestling! Be well..

Matt

Full Details On This Weekend's WWE Live Events
- The Raw crew will be in Waco, Texas tonight at the Heart O'Texas Fair Coliseum. WWE is promoting Jeff Hardy vs. WWE Champion Randy Orton as the main event, however, that match will not happen because of Hardy’s suspension. Tomorrow night the Raw crew will be at the Oil Palace in Tyler, Texas as they are promoting WWE Champion Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, and JBL for the show. Finally the Raw brand will be in Beaumont, Texas on Sunday for an afternoon show at the Beaumont Civic Center as WWE Champion Randy Orton, Snitsky, JBL, Trevor Murdoch & Lance Cade, WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, Carlito, Charlie Haas, Paul Burchill, Santino Marella, DeGeneration X, Finlay, Hardcore Holly, Cody Rhodes, Mickie James, Brian Kendrick, DH Smith, Super Crazy, and Val Venis are being advertised for the show.

- The SmackDown/ECW crews will begin their weekend tomorrow night at the Rapides Parish Coliseum in Alexandria, Louisiana as World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Batista, Matt Hardy, US Champion MVP, and CM Punk are being advertised for the show. The SmackDown/ECW brands will be at the Centurytel Center in Bossier City, Louisiana on Sunday evening for a 5PM show as the show is scheduled to feature Undertaker & Kane vs. Edge & MVP, Matt Hardy vs. John Morrison, and ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero vs. CM Punk. Mark Henry, Victoria, Theodore Long, Big Daddy V, Tommy Dreamer, Shelton Benjamin, Kofi Kingston, and Kelly Kelly are all advertised for the show.

HBK's Ink, Superstars Of The Week, JBL On Elliot Spitzer
- Shawn Michaels is featured in the latest "Superstar's Ink" feature on the official WWE website. In it, Michaels said the following in regards to his tattoos, "if I knew now what I should have known then – or however that saying goes – I probably wouldn't have gotten them, simply because my kids see them." He goes on to talk about the meaning of all his tattoos and whether or not he will get one in honor of his daughter and the dilemma that he faces.

- Jim Ross has posted his latest "Superstar of the Week" blog on the official WWE website. This week JR picks two superstars for the honor, giving Gerald and Jack Briscoe the nod. It was announced on this week's edition of Raw that both will be inductees into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.

- Rounding out the latest updates on the official WWE website, JBL has a new blog online talking about his upcoming WrestleMania Belfast Brawl match with Finlay, promoting his energy drink, and more. JBL commented on former New York Governor Elliot Spitzer by saying, "I have to ask what is so surprising about Eliot Spitzer being rotten? He's a politician, right? Most are either rotten or just stupid. It shouldn't be a surprise Spitzer was with a hooker, he's been screwing Wall Street for years. Spitzer became governor by going after individuals with sometimes very little evidence and with little to no regard for justice. Spitzer chased away a lot of business on Wall Street, all for the sake of being the crusader-so he could get elected.

Details On McMahon's Hollywood Walk Of Fame Ceremony
Vince McMahon was honored with the 2,257th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday. Triple H and Shane McMahon both spoke in honor of McMahon as Triple H acknowledged the fact that Vince was his father-in-law and called him the closet thing that he had to a father. Shane talked about his father first getting a job as an announcer for Vince Sr.

After his family members spoke, Vince McMahon delivered his acceptance speech to the enthusiastic and large crowd. Linda McMahon was there but did not speak. Stephanie was not at the ceremony as Triple H said that she was home because she is pregnant.

Vince McMahon will have to pay a $25,000 fee for costs related to the star.

SD Rating, New MITB Ladder Match Participant, WWE Stock
- Last night’s edition of WWE SmackDown did a 2.7 fast national rating on the CW Network. Look for the final number to be out later next week.

- John Morrison was added to the WrestleMania Money in the Bank ladder match on this week’s edition of SmackDown. Morrison defeated The Miz to qualify; with Jeff Hardy out, one spot remains open for the match as Carlito, Shelton Benjamin, CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Ken Kennedy, and MVP have already qualified.

- CNN Money has a new article online on WWE’s stock, talking about the success that it has endured. read it here:
Mar. 17, 2008 (Investor's Business Daily delivered by Newstex) --

Stamford, Conn.-based World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE:WWE) WWE is a high-dividend stock in an unusual situation.

It carries a 7.9% dividend yield, paying $1.44 a share annually. That's more than projected 2008 earnings of 89 cents a share.

When a payout ratio is more than 100%, many stock screens eliminate the stock as a poor risk. It's assumed the dividend is about to be cut.

But World Wrestling recently increased the dividend.

"We have more than sufficient cash on our balance sheet to cover any shortfall between earnings and the dividend in the near term," company spokesman Gary Davis told IBD via e-mail.

He added that the company expects to increase profit and "grow into this new dividend in the next few years."

When senior analyst Ali Mogharabi of B. Riley & Co. initiated coverage of the then-below-$15 stock with a buy rating on Aug. 27, he described World Wrestling Entertainment as a cash cow.

It holds $266 million in cash and short-term investments, almost no debt, low capital expenditures and has a free cash flow margin upward of 15%.

According to the company's 10-K, the new dividend will cost $80.6 million in the next fiscal year.

Recently, Mogharabi lowered his rating on World Wrestling to neutral on the basis of valuation. The stock price is now more than 18.

Sales increased 17% in 2007, the fastest growth since 2000. Earnings grew 26% last year.

The recent dividend increase -- a hefty 50% hike from 24 cents to 36 cents a share quarterly -- was given only to common shareholders. In other words, none of the increase went to the McMahon family, which owns most of the shares.

Breaking News: Jeff Hardy's House Burned Down
- The Wrestling Observer is reporting that Jeff Hardy's home in Cameron, NC burned to the ground last night. Hardy and his girlfriend Beth weren't home at the time, but virtually everything they owned that was in the home was destroyed, including his pet dog. No other details are available at this time, nor has a cause of the fire been determined. We will keep you updated.

[Ranma4699]

Linda & Hulk To Reconcile?, WrestleMania, Batista Misses Show

- NextOXY.com is reporting that Hulk Hogan and his wife Linda hope to reconcile and not finalize their divorce. A reliable source close to the family was quoted as saying, "She [Linda] keeps saying to him, 'Can't we find a way to make this work?' "She doesn't want to see the family break-up. She really wants to work it out with him. But it is like pushing up against a brick wall. She is heartbroken about it." The article also says that Hulk heard about the divorce from his lawyer and not a newspaper as other sources reported. You can check out the full article at this link.

- The Orlando Sentinel has an article online today about how a crew of 100 is working 16 hours a day to bring WrestleMania to life on March 30. A steel-roof structure is being built over top of the ring to protect the wrestlers in case of rain and will also be used to hang a large video board. WWE production manager Brian Petree was quoted in the article as saying, "It's going to be a big, great show with stuff people have never seen before." You can read the full article at this link.

- Batista did not work last night's SmackDown/ECW house show in Alexandria, Louisiana as advertised.

Update On Bobby Lashley: Fight With Kimbo Slice?, More

Bobby Lashley’s management team has been throwing his name around to MMA groups including UFC and EliteXC. Bobby Lashley vs. Kimbo Slice is one fight that has been considered.

UFC isn’t too hot on Lashley, with Lesnar’s huge debut still fresh in everyone’s memory. It’s said they don’t want it to look like they’re repeating the same gimmicks and recruiting guys from pro wrestling.

Lashley might just end up making more money with TNA than any MMA promotion right now, and the #2 wrestling company in the world is still considered an option for him.

He must have really hated WWE to walk away from seven figures a year.

WWE/Larry King, HOF Rings, The Rock At WrestleMania?

- The WWE/Larry King Live Special that was schedule for last week will air this Wednesday, March 19th at 9 p.m. ET on CNN. Big Show, Triple H, Vince McMahon, John Cena, Chris Jericho, and Floyd Mayweather will all appear on the show.

- According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE will be presenting rings to all of the Hall of Famers. As of right now, they haven't told anyone anything but have requested ring sizes for several Superstars.

- Dave Meltzer is also reporting that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's scheduled appearance for this year's Hall of Fame ceremony almost didn't happen. Johnson is currently in the middle of shooting "Witch Mountain" in Las Vegas and will be out there that weekend. He will have to rush in and out to work a full day on Sunday, so he won't be at WrestleMania.

Changes To MITB Ladder Match, SD! Problems

- As things stand right now, WWE won't be replacing Jeff Hardy in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania. It was reported during this week's airing of SmackDown as well on the official WWE.com website that John Morrison is the final entrant into the match. Therefore the match will feature: John Morrison, CM Punk, Carlito, Shelton Benjamin, Ken Kennedy, MVP, and Chris Jericho.

- According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there were problems at the Atlanta airport this weekend which resulted in several changes to the SmackDown house show in Alexandria, LA. Several of the Superstars arrived late so the Chavo Guerrero vs C.M. Punk match was switched to 2/3 falls and lasted forever in the opening. Heels in all the early matches were told to stall as much as possible. As we reported earlier, Batista never showed up.

The Latest On Batista’s Backstage Reputation

Although Batista is hardly one of the most popular guys in the Smackdown locker room, some within the company praise him for his work ethic. He watches matches closely on the backstage monitor at Smackdown tapings and is said to always have a strong desire to improve. It’s said that he respects the business and takes his job seriously, but isn’t the most gifted performer despite his hard work.

As we previously reported Batista rubs some people the wrong way with his attitude. Certain people within the company are very negative on him because they feel that all he really cares about are women and cars.

Maria On Declining Playboy In The Past, Ric Flair, More

Maria is featured in a new interview with Eric Gargiulo on PhillyBurbs.com. In it, she mentions that Playboy tried to get her to pose for the magazine from the time that she was 19 until now when she finally agreed to it. She also talked about not winning the Diva Search competition, her favorite moments in WWE so far, Ric Flair, and more. Below are the highlights:

On what it's like working WrestleMania: I've been with WWE for 3 ½ years. I've been to WrestleMania, this will be my fourth year and this year is the first year that I'm actually in a match. I don't think it has sank in completely yet. I've been working on different wrestling moves and stuff that I can do in the ring because I definitely want to be up to my game and up to par when I'm out there doing it. It really hasn't sunk in yet. I remember last year crying at the end of WrestleMania when I was watching all of the highlights, so I'm sure that i